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Distracted Driving Is As Bad As Drunk Driving

June 12, 2017

There is a new scourge on the highways of America that is responsible for as many traffic accidents and motor vehicle fatalities as driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. That scourge is distracted driving. Because of the invention of the iPhone giving people instant text communications, nearly every person uses this device for communicating with friends, family members, and business associates. Although texting while driving is against the law, those communications do not stop when a person gets behind the wheel to drive, and as a result, the number one cause of distracted driving today is texting while driving.

According to the Connecticut Department of Transportation on their web page, “Connecticut law prohibits the use of any hand-held mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle at any time, even with a hands-free accessory. Distracted driving is any non-driving activity a person engages in while operating a motor vehicle.”

Statistics published by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration illustrate how deadly texting and driving has become. Since the invention of the smartphone around 2010, traffic accidents and fatalities have been rising at a rate of around 10% per year. A person is six times more likely to be in a traffic accident when texting and reading notifications on their smartphones while driving than if a person is driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Approximately 50 percent of adults admit to texting and driving. Nine people nationally are killed on average every day due to texting and driving.

The reason why texting and driving are such a deadly combination is that a driver is required to take their eyes off of the road for a period of time to read or write a text message. For each five seconds that your eyes are off the road, a vehicle traveling at 55 mph travels the distance of approximately 100 yards. That distance doubles for every 10 miles per hour over 55 mph that the driver is driving. It is easy to see how an unexpected bend in the highway or swerving into the other lane or into oncoming traffic would be easy to do if you take your eyes off of the road for a period of time.

If you have been injured or have had a loved one killed due to the negligence of a driver texting while driving, or for any other reason, please give our law firm a call. We can help you to recover medical expenses, lost income, and other damages due to your pain and suffering. You need a Connecticut distracted driving accident lawyer with experience—someone who has helped victims like you for more than 25 years. Eagan, Donohue, Van Dyke & Falsey, LLP’s Connecticut accident lawyers have handled numerous texting and distracted driving accident cases for their clients.